Wire drawing method



Patented Dec. 24, 1946 wmn mmwmo METHOD Flint C. Elder and Arch W. Harris, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation oi New Jersey No Drawing. Application October 28, 1943, Serial No. 508,064

4 Claims. (Cl. 205-21) In wire drawing operations, it is necessary to use a lubricant; for facilitating passage of the wire through the die, and for increasing the life of the die.

A great deal of trouble has always been experienced in drawing high carbon (0.60% to 0.90%) wire down to the finer gauges, that is. from 20 gauge (0.026 in.) down to 33 and 34 gauge (0.0118 in. and 0.0104 in.), the main difficulty being poor die life and. consequently, high rejections of scratched or cut round wire due to Worn dies.

In drawing wire from 20 gauge to 33 gauge, a wet wire drawing process is used in conjunction with a continuous wire drawing machine. Up to'the present, the lubricant which has been employed for such process simply consisted of a soap dissolved in water, the water and soap solution being either sprayed on the wire and dies of the machine as the wire passes therethrough, or, in some cases, the wire and dies are completely submerged in the lubricant. Oil can b used as a lubricant, but it not only is expensive, but it also causes excessively dirty working conditions.

It seems as though soluble soaps dissolved in water do not afford the best lubricating properties to be desired. It is to be remembered that a wire drawing lubricant must withstand a great deal of pressure and be able to wet the wire passing into the dies while possessing good lubricating characteristics.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that it an insoluble metallic stearate soap is kept in suspension in an aqueous soap solution, definite increases are obtained in die life and lower rejections of finished wire result when, such composition is used as a wire Per cent Insolubl metallic stearate soap 1.25 Water soluble soap (wetting or dispersing agent) 0.16

Water 98.89

The foregoing percentages are all by weight.

It has been determined in practice that not over 2% of insoluble metallic stearate should be used, and that 0.2% of a wetting and dispersing agent is sufficient.

It will be understood that this type of lubricant can be used in drawing low carbon wire as well as high carbon wire with corresponding increase in die life and quality of finished wire product.

In addition to water soluble soaps, other water soluble soap-like materials may be employed as the wetting and dispersing agent.

We claim:

l. The process of drawing wire which comprises passing wire through a drawing die in the presence of a wire-drawing lubricant comprising an aqueous suspension of a water-insoluble metallic stearate, the said suspension containing not more than 2% by weight of the insoluble stearate, and not more than substantially 0.2% of a wetting and dispersing agent.

2. The process of drawing wire which comprises passing wire through a drawing die in the presence of a wire-drawing lubricant comprising an aqueous solution of a wetting and dispersing agent, and a suspension of an insolubl metallic stearate soap in the said solution, the said lubricant containing from substantially 1.25% to substantially 2% of the insoluble metallicstearate soap, and from about 0.16% to substantially 0.2% of the wetting and dispersing agent, the balance of the lubricant being water.

3. The process of drawing wire which comprises passing wire through a drawing die in the presence of a wire-drawing lubricant comprising an aqueous suspension of awaten-insoluble metallic stearate, the said suspension containing not more than 2% by weight of the insoluble stearate, and a wetting and dispersing agent in suflicient amounts to maintain the stearate dispersed and wetted when the mixture is suspended in water.

FLINT o. ELDER. ARCH w. mams. 

